Stinger

Cognac and crème de menthe—a post-dinner cocktail that's smooth, minty, and dessert-adjacent.

The Stinger has been in print since the early 1900s and was a fixture of pre-Prohibition American drinking. By the mid-20th century it had become the after-dinner drink of a particular American social class: cognac and white crème de menthe, served in country clubs and private homes through the 1950s and 60s. It fell out of fashion as digestif culture faded, displaced by sweeter, simpler drinks and a general move away from formal after-dinner rituals.

The drink survives because the combination is genuinely good. Cognac brings fruit, oak, and a warmth that reads as substantial without being heavy. White crème de menthe contributes clean, direct mint with enough sweetness to soften the cognac's edges. Together they produce something that reads as both rich and refreshing, which is a harder trick to pull off than it sounds. The freezer is the right home for it: cold amplifies the mint and tightens the cognac into something precise. Serve it ice-cold, in a coupe, and sip slowly. It is a dessert and a digestif at the same time.